Iron Gorgons
The Iron Gorgons are a Successor Chapter of the stoic and unforgiving Iron Hands. This Chapter, along with the Sanctors of Manus and the Templars of Iron, make up a triumvirate of Second Founding Iron Hands' Successors, collectively known as the Frateris Firmitatis ("The Ironclad Brotherhood"). The Iron Gorgons were Founded from a portion of the Iron Hands Chapter's Voraag Clan - survivors from the infamous Dropsite Massacre of Isstvan V, where their Primarch Ferrus Manus was callously betrayed and killed by his former brother Fulgrim, Primarch of the traitorous Emperor's Children Legion. This clan was comprised of aggressive, brutal and willfully petulant elements of the original X Legion, who refused to recognise the authority of the newly appointed Iron Council following the aftermath of the Horus Heresy. When the High Lords of Terra decreed the Second Founding in 021.M31, the Iron Hands Legion used this opportunity to purge themselves of this troublesome clan. Since that time, the Iron Gorgons Chapter have proven themselves as true Scions of Ferrus Manus, garnering a reputation as an unassailable and resolute Chapter of Space Marines. They are notoriously bellicose, their battle tactics almost entirely concerned with the application of overwhelming force to bring about the total and immediate destruction of their foes. As a fleet-based Crusading Chapter, the Iron Gorgons are highly active in the prosecution of the Emperor's wars, and have fought across the width and breadth of the Imperium's borders, earning a substantial tally of both glorious victories and bloody-handed deeds in equal measure. Chapter History The Iron Gorgons are a notoriously truculent and sullen Iron Hands Successor Chapter. Like their Progenitors, they are cold-hearted and brutally remorseless in battle. Since their inception, they have shattered countless foes in their never-ending quest to rid the galaxy of the enemies of mankind. The Iron Gorgons reserve a special hatred for the Traitor Legions, who they hold directly responsible for the callous betrayal and death of their Primarch and the shattering of their Progenitor Legion. These uncompromising Astartes will stop at nothing to eradicate their foul kind and the corrupting influence of the Ruinous Powers from the face of the galaxy. Shattered Legion The Iron Gorgons can trace their heritage back to the dark days of the galaxy-wide rebellion known as the Horus Heresy, which began in the waning days of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium. This bloody-handed Chapter is descended from the ranks of the infamous Voraag Clan Company of the Iron Hands Legion, led by their merciless and bloody-handed clan commander, Iron-Lord Vigo Acidinus, a darkly-famed Legionary warrior who possessed a predatory way about him. His sense of aggression was barely held in check and was often unleashed in full many times on the field of battle throughout the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. Acidinus's reputation, and that of his Clan Company, was one of the most bloodthirsty. Often they were utilised in the capacity of assault or breacher squad roles. More than once, the Voraag Clan Company had been called to censure for their zeal in pursuing enemy forces and collateral damage left in the wake of one of their bloody assaults. Like their ruthless commander, the battle-brothers of the Voraag Clan were known to favour bolters and chain-axes in battle. When the Horus Heresy erupted and plunged the nascent Imperium into total war, the Emperor of Mankind order the combined forces of seven Space Marine Legions to assault the positions of Horus and his Traitor Legions in the Isstvan System. When Fulgrim, Primarch of the Emperor's Children attempted to sway his brother Primarch to the Warmaster's cause, Ferrus Manus was enraged by such blatant talk of rebellion and attempted to stop Fulgrim's betrayal before it could begin. But the Phoenician escaped the Gorgon's justice and fled into the Warp. Overcome with mind-numbing rage at his brother's treachery, Ferrus and his warriors gratefully received the Emperor's orders through his brother Rogal Dorn, to mobilise a strike force to crush Horus's rebellion on the world of Isstvan V. He then gathered together his most veteran troops and departed for the Isstvan System. It was there that the traitor Primarchs, Warmaster Horus Lupercal first among them, revealed the full extent of their treachery. They ambushed the Iron Hands, the Raven Guard and the Salamanders, and although the three loyal Legions fought valiantly, Ferrus Manus himself was lost. The Iron Hands were undone by their own hubris and the blade of the Traitor both, and paid a heavy price in the brutal slaying of their Primarch and the near-crippling of their strength. Though left a shattered Legion, the cold fury of the Iron Hands' bitter vengeance would afterwards be writ across the stars. While the Traitors declared their Primarch dead upon the blasted wastes of Isstvan V, the Iron Hands refused to accept this for no body was ever recovered. With the death of their Primarch and father, many within the Voraag Clan who witnessed Ferrus Manus's death descended into grief and madness. Those few that managed to make it off the surface of Isstvan V and survived the calamitous void ambush of the Traitor Legions' fleet, broke away and scattered across the stars. The survivors of Voraag formed an isolationist band that fought their own private wars against the traitors - throwing themselves wholesale into the crucible of battle in order to absolve themselves of the loss of their father. The Iron Council A gathering of clans and Iron Fathers on Medusa formed a new council to rule the Iron Hands now that the Primarch was 'lost'. It was decided that no single individual would ever rule over the Iron Hands again. Many within Voraag refused to bow down to any master save their own Iron Lord. Isolating themselves from their fellow battle-brothers, Iron-Lord Vigo Acidinus and his warriors became bitter recluses, cleaving to their rage as the only constant in a universe gone mad and riddled with weakness. They soon became the brunt of suspicion and acrimony by their fellow surviving Clan Companies. Despite Voraag's silent protests, the newly formed Iron Council had more pressing concerns. They concentrated their efforts on replenishing the strength of their shattered Legion. Though the Iron Hands would go on to score numerous peripheral victories during the rest of the Heresy, they were far from any of the truly pivotal battles. Throughout this Age of Darkness, the Voraag Clan continued to fan the embers of their hatred that would continue to endure for millennia. The Scouring Over the next eight years, the Horus Heresy ran its inevitable course - the Traitor Legions attacked Terra, failed to defeat the Loyalist forces during the siege of the Imperial Palace, the Warmaster was killed and the mortally-wounded Emperor was interred within the Golden Throne. Burned in the black fires of betrayal, the Imperium was a dismal, shattered thing. The Emperor's dream of unity erased forever. Yet despite this, the Imperium retained might enough to exact their bloody revenge upon the Traitor Legions and their allies. The newly established Senatorum Imperialis had neither the ability not the desire to prevent a war of reciprocity. Thus, the time known in Imperial history as the Great Scouring began. This was a period of monumental violence, of confusion and darkness. The Dark Angels, the Space Wolves, even the Ultramarines, all followed their own agendas as the wars of the Scouring gathered pace. The Iron Hands were no exception. The Tempering The Iron Hands were a shattered Legion, having been broken upon the black sands of Isstvan V by the Traitors who had renounced their oaths and turned against their brothers. Their Legion's collective soul is scarred by the calamitous events in the Isstvan System, with many among their number remaining in denial over their father's death. Reeling from the monstrous blow dealt to them, the Iron Hands are reduced to a shadow of its former strength. The fractured Iron Hands are drawn together on Medusa for a great conclave known as the Tempering. During this great debate the Iron Hands come to embrace their inherent beliefs in 'iron over flesh' - for it was human frailty which had caused the corruption of the Primarchs and their Legions, as well as those mortals who let their own jealousy, avarice and fear lure them into following the Warmaster into rebellion and eventual damnation. The Iron Hands vowed to seek out weakness and destroy it, replacing it with machine-like fortitude that they had come to venerate. This great council sets the Legion's feet on a path that it will follow, for better or worse, for the next ten thousand years. Following the conclusion of the Tempering, the Iron Hands Clan Companies took to their vessels, forged into an unstoppable strike force and distributed against the most appropriate foes as determined by pure logic. The incandescent rage stoked by the Iron Hands' fury was fully unleashed upon their erstwhile kin. Thus, the Voraag Clan was unleashed to prosecute their campaign of bloody vengeance against those who wronged them. Legions Divided Following the events of the Scouring, the dawning of the galaxy-spanning Imperium and the rebirth of the domain of Mankind occurred. Almost immediately following its inception, the newborn Imperium was forced to rise from the ashes of the Horus Heresy. Now shorn of the Emperor's leadership, nearly everything was reorganised and many fail-safes were put into place. Countless doctrines, the most famous of which was the Codex Astartes, the magnum opus of the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman, were drawn up and implemented in the hope of ensuring that a large-scale military rebellions was never again possible. The remaining loyal Space Marine Legions were disbanded to form the far smaller 1,000-man organisations known as Chapters. A portion of the Space Marines maintained their parent Legions' original names, badges and colours while the remaining Chapters took on new names and heraldry. Thus, the Second Founding occurred, and the Iron Hands went on to Found multiple Chapters. Founding Over the net eight years, the Iron Hands would continue to play an instrumental role in protecting the Imperium time and again. By this time Clan Voraag's Iron Lord Acidinus had been interred within the mighty form of a Dreadnought. He was ancient by Astartes standards, now older than the oldest surviving veterans of the fragmented Space Marine Legions. But his choler still refused to fade with the passage of time, as the wrathful warrior continued to lead his Clan Company in the prosecution of their self-imposed eternal crusade to rid the galaxy of Traitors and the malign influence of Chaos. The battle-brothers of Clan Voraag willingly followed their Iron Lord on their quest for vengeance to purge the galaxy of the weak and the corrupt, often committing acts of violence which resulted in excessive damage to both the infrastructure of important Imperial worlds, and the loss of innocent lives. On numerous occasions, their actions led to censure, even within the ranks of their unforgiving Chapter. Yet their aggressiveness and brutal tendencies continued to serve them well over the next decade, though their obstinate behaviour towards the Iron Council's rule grated upon the Iron Hands' senior command. When the Second Founding was decreed by the High Lords of Terra, the Iron Hands saw the perfect opportunity to rid themselves of the troublesome elements within their Chapter, and so, the Iron Council decreed that certain Clan Companies who had been deemed vexatious, would be granted the 'honour' of becoming new Chapters. Each newly created Iron Hands Successor Chapter took on the traditions and rites of their Progenitor as the basis for their new brotherhood and adopted a fitting name. Stripped of title and tithe, history and deed, these Clan Companies were forced to make their own way in an unforgiving and uncaring galaxy. Thus, Iron Lord Acidinus was promoted to the rank of Chapter Master. He and his Clan Company became the core founding members of the newly created Iron Gorgons Chapter. Shorn at last of their last ties to the Iron Hands, the newly created Chapter was free to forge their own destiny as they saw fit. Taking the title of 'Iron-Wrought', the vengeful Vigo Acidinus led his eponymous Chapter on a blood-soaked crusade to seek out and annihilate any vestige of the Traitor Legions. Their actions, even in the early years of the Iron Gorgons' existence, laid the foundations upon which they would be known, and judged, ever after. In the decrees laid down during the Tempering and the division of the Space Marine Legions into smaller Chapters during the Second Founding, the newly created Iron Gorgons were ever at the forefront prosecuting the Iron Hands' wars. For the next nine centuries they continued their never-ending quest for vengeance against the Traitor Legions, cooling the fires of their wrath with the blood of their foes. The Ironclad Brotherhood Following their Founding, several of these newly created Iron Hands Successor Chapters found themselves of like-mind and temperament, as well as their propensity for waging an unforgiving war upon the Traitor Legions and other followers of the Ruinous Powers. A great conclave was called between these Scions of Ferrus Manus, and so, the lords of each Chapter sent a delegation and met upon the moon of Hephaestus, located within the Thule Sector. This ancient planet, which had formerly served as an industrial complex and was a part of the Iron Hands' tributary fiefdom, and had long ago been abandoned following the Horus Heresy. It was upon this lifeless planetoid that a powerful alliance was formed, known as the Ironclad Compact. Four Iron Hands Successor Chapters, which consisted of the Iron Gorgons, Iron Invictors, Sanctors of Manus and the Templars of Iron, formed a powerful conglomerate, that collectively became known as the Frateris Firmitatis or 'The Ironclad Brotherhood'. These Chapters possessed similarly war-like natures and unforgiving temperaments. Down the centuries, the Ironclad Brotherhood would often come together in conjunction with one another to work towards a common goal or to vanquish a particularly troublesome or powerful enemy force. As fleet-based Chapters, this alliance of powerful Astartes Chapters saw them travel the length of the galaxy to enact their brutal retribution upon the heretic, the apostate and the xenos. They achieved numerous victories and the destruction of many terrible foes. This alliance remained resolute and inviolable for over a millennium and a half, until it was shattered by the actions of the Iron Invictors, who overstepped their bonds of brotherhood in their obsessive quest for obtaining certain forbidden technology, and opened themselves to the path of heretical damnation. The Iron Invictors were declared Excommunicate Traitoris by Inquisitorial edict. Thus began a series of bloody and bitter battles between the remaining Ironclad Brotherhood Chapters and their erstwhile kin. But the majority of the Renegade Chapter escaped their former brethrens' wrath, and butchered their way through several systems, before finding refuge within the hellish realm known as the Eye of Terror. Legacy of Iron It is known that the Chapters of the Ironclad Brotherhood keep a firmly united counsel, convening on matters of grave import from time to time. In such conclaves, it is typical that all present defer to the senior-most Chapter Master, although over the course of eight millennia there have been occasions when that voice of another, such as a Forge-Father, has been considered senior. This spirit of cooperation has led the Ironclad Brotherhood to stand together time and again, uniting in common cause against terrible enemies. Recent History The Fall of Cadia In late 999.M41, a vast tide of Chaos worshippers pours from the Eye of Terror into the Cadian Gate, unleashing Abaddon the Despoiler's Thirteenth Black Crusade. As a mobile Chapter, the fleet-based Iron Gorgons deployed the entirety of their Chapter in support of the beleaguered world of the Cadian sector to halt the encroaching Forces of Chaos. They are soon joined by their brethren from the Ironclad Brotherhood. The Scions of Ferrus Manus gird themselves for battle as never before since the time of the Great Scouring, rushing once more to the forefront of Mankind's battle for survival, intent to fight with righteous fervor and a refusal to accept defeat, no matter the odds. Though the Iron Gorgons and their brother Chapters fight valiantly in many battles during this bloody-handed campaign, their efforts are all for naught. In the end, Cadia is consumed by the fires of war, and after standing sentinel for millennia, finally falls. It was then that the Cicatrix Maledictum, commonly referred to as the Great Rift, cracked open the galaxy in the wake of the fall of Cadia, and soon the entire galaxy was awash in ætheric storms, as a massive gaping hole in realspace hundreds of times greater than the Eye of Terror, splits the Imperium in half. The Iron Gorgons and their brother-Chapters of the Ironclad Brotherhood are caught within the Imperium Nihilus - the galactic north that is wholly cut off from the Emperor's Astronomican. A Light in the Darkness As darkness descends across the width and breadth of the galaxy, whole sectors of the Imperium have gone dark, while others report the onslaught of rabid Greenskin hordes, aggressive Tau fleets or deathless hosts, seemingly driven to conquest in the face of the expanding Warp Storm fronts. Heretic Chaos cults and rogue psykers have risen up in their billions, and every Imperial world now seem set to burn in the fires of unending galactic war. The Ironclad Brotherhood soon found themselves bogged down in one raging conflict after another. They valiantly fought against the tide of both xenos and Chaotic filth that had gathered like carrion predators, sensing the imminent demise of weakened prey. In the wake of liberating a half dozen systems from the enemies of Mankind, the Ironclad Brotherhood temporarily withdrew their battered forces to convene an emergency council, to decide how best to proceed in their neverending crusade to stem the tide of enemies that continuously assailed the sorely wounded Imperium. Their forces had been bloodied and battered during their recent campaigns, and they now had to concentrate their efforts on replenishing the strength of their shattered forces, lest they too, give into their all-consuming rage and offer up their lives upon the altars of war. The Chapter Masters of the Ironclad Brotherhood agreed, they would not meet death vainly and without taking as many of the foe with them as they could. They would continue to fight and die as brothers, striving to see another dawn. They would pursue their own goals, and turn towards the well-trodded path of the marauder and void corsair to determine their fate, reverting to a path well-travelled in the past, although with themselves as master. With their fate decided, the Ironclad Brotherhood carved a swathe of blood and ash across the void in memory of a dream which had turned to nightmare with the destruction of Cadia and the formation of the Great Rift. Eventually, the veil was finally pierced by the Chapters' Librarians - though several died in the attempt to achieve this feat - and piece by piece, the Ironclad Brotherhood began to learn of the fate of Cadia and the galaxy at-large. They learned of the resurrection of the long-dead Ultramarines Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, and his investiture as the Lord Commander of the Imperium. Even the characteristically stoic and dour Chapters of the Ironclad Brotherhood were astounded by such monumental news - a son of the God-Emperor Himself - a demigod of battle now led the Imperium out of the darkness. Gathering the forces of the Imperium, the Guilliman launched what was to become his Indomitus Crusade, intent on taking the fight directly to the enemies of Mankind. Exalted by the news, the Ironclad Brotherhood were determined to fight their way to Guilliman's Crusade fleet and join his cause in liberating the galaxy, or die in the attempt. The Primaris Space Marines Guilliman had anticipated the need for a new breed of hero for this, the darkest age in the Imperium's history. He knew that the galaxy would need warriors resilient enough to stand against the Forces of Chaos as the Imperium was poised on the brink of annihilation. New armies were raised, in breathtaking numbers. Guilliman brought forth his new and terrible weapons whose fury even the worshippers of the Dark Gods would be unable to withstand. Gathering his new armada, along with elements of the Adeptus Custodes, the Silent Sisterhood and a vast war host of Primaris Space Marines from many newly founded Chapters, the Lord Commander of the Imperium launched his Indomitus Crusade. Strike forces from over a dozen pre-existing Chapters, including the Chapters of the Ironclad Brotherhood, joined the Indomitus Crusade fleet. Iron-Wrought Einion Hephaistos, along with those Chapter Masters who were present, sent delegations aboard Guilliman's flagship, and kneeled before the Primarch to swear their undying allegiance to him. Guilliman informed them of the newly created Primaris Space Marines - a gift to help alleviate the losses suffered by several of the Chapters that were present. The Iron Gorgons' sorely depleted ranks were quickly replenished with hundreds of newly created Primaris Space Marines. Iron-Wrought Hephaistos graciously accepted this profound gift from the resurrected Primarch and welcomed these new warriors into his Chapter's ranks. Notable Campaigns *'Vengeance from the Outer Darkness (006-008.M31)' - Following the disaster upon Istvaan V and the death of their Primarch Ferrus Manus, Clan Voraag was one of the few remaining surviving Iron Hands clans that was able to fight their way clear of the Traitors' cunning trap, and fled the decimation of their Legion upon the black sands of the Urgall Depression. Miraculously, they also managed to survive the calamitous void ambush above Istvaan V. The surviving Iron Hands of Clan Voraag soon formed an isolationist ban and took refuge within the prohibited region of the Xersinia Prohibited Zone, a vast area of the void located near the northernmost borders where both the Segmentums Obscurus and Ultima converged, and whose dark renown long predated the birth of the Imperium. Few save the insane or desperate would venture within Xersinia's bounds, which made it a perfect refuge for Clan Voraag to regroup and reorganise their disparate forces. Six months after the events of Istvaan, when reality tore itself open in the isolated Pelegron Cluster, a massive black iron, scarred-hulled killer emerged from the Warp. It was the grand cruiser Iron Heart, the flagship of the Iron Hands of Clan Voraag, and their master Vigo Acidinus. The merciless warrior led his clan in a two-year long campaign of bloody retribution upon the Traitor holdfasts within the northern reaches of the Pelegron Cluster. They not only mercilessly crushed the Traitor fores, but also made brutal examples of those who had meekly bowed down before their Horusite overseers. To the pitiless Iron Hands of Clan Voraag there was no such thing as 'innocent' bystanders in the terrible conflict that came to be known as the Horus Heresy, and no quarter was to be given -- it was to be Loyalist and Traitor to the death. *'The Great Scouring (014-021.M31)' - Following the terrible, epic conclusion of the Heresy during the Siege of Terra, and the internment of the Emperor of Mankind within the confines of the great prosthetic device known as the Golden Throne, the Imperium was in shambles. Hosts of the Emperor swept outwards from Terra in vengeful pursuit of the Warmaster's broken hordes. The Loyalist Legions quickly enacted a brutal war of reciprocity against the Traitor Legions and their dark allies, eager to inflict on the fleeing Traitors the same humiliation they had suffered themselves in the early years of the Horus Heresy. Clan Voraag was one of the leading Iron Hands elements spearheading the campaign of retribution against the forces of the Warmaster, eager to extract their pound of flesh for the death of their Primarch and the decimation of their Legion. Chapter Homeworld As a fleet-based Chapter, the Iron Gorgons do not possess a more permanent facility or a fortress-monastery. Instead, following their creation the Iron Gorgons established a series of secret fortified bases within the northern reaches of the Imperium, most of which are rumoured to be located somewhere where the borders of both the Segmentums Obscurus and Ultima converge. Within these bases the Iron Gorgons are said to have constructed armouries, gene-seed storage banks and forges deep within the various planets' sedimentary rock. The technical sophistication and knowledge possessed by the Iron Gorgons indicates that these heavily fortified bases are more than likely to contain an extensive network of defence emplacements and subterranean bunkers as well as being protected by powerful void fields. It is rumoured that the weapons silos contained within these facilities house not just conventional armaments, but other weapons and technologies considered too dangerous to exist and proscribed by ancient writ were secreted away by the Iron Gorgons in the deepest vaults beneath these bases. As befits a scion Chapter of the Iron Hands, the level of technology and weaponry used by the Iron Gorgons Chapter is higher than the Imperial average, even among the usually well-equipped Astartes, and their armouries have been observed to be particularly extensive and diverse. The Chapter's forge ships within their eternally mobile fleet have the ability to salvage, repair and produce a wide variety of wargear, and is said to possess the rare capability of constructing rare vehicle variants. Their range of technology is such, that it is said that the Iron Gorgons are able to even construct new Dreadnought chassis. Chapter Beliefs In character, the Iron Gorgons owe much to their forebears, being utterly intolerant of physical or mental weakness in others and least of all in themselves. This obsession manifests most notably in a distinct preference for high levels of cybernetic replacement among their Battle-Brothers. Those who have fought alongside the Chapter remark that they possess a frigid manner and seemingly emotionless responses, taking little pleasure in success. Unlike many other Astartes, the Iron Gorgons do not crave glory or expect to prove their worthiness to their Chapter. Failure to the Iron Gorgons is intolerable, and slights against the Chapter's honour, perceived or real, are met with deadly force, while defeats are viewed as things to be rectified and avenged. To an Astartes of the Iron Gorgons, doing otherwise would be to show weakness, and weakness is death. In temperament, the Battle-Brothers of the Iron Gorgons display the same demeanour as their progenitors. They abhor the weakness of the flesh, and while they encase their bodies in cold steel they are blessed of a hatred of the Emperor’s foes far hotter than any furnace. Given their crusading roots during and immediately following the Great Scouring, it is not surprising that the Iron Gorgons display an even keener urge to prosecute the Emperor’s foes than their sires. Chapter Organisation The Clan Companies Like their Progenitors, the Iron Gorgons Chapter maintains a non-standard 'Clan' structure which overlays the more traditional patterns of Space Marine ogranisation found within the Codex Astartes. This Chapter is comprised of ten 'Clan Companies', each a brotherhood one hundred warriors strong, and a formidable army in its own right. Each possesses its own unique qualities, and each has a different role within the Chapter. Though the cause of every Chapter of Adeptus Astartes is the same, their means and methods often differ. Any warrior joining a new company will discard his previous clan allegiances, being considered a member of his newly adoptive clan from that day onward until his death or promotion to a new company. Traditionally, each Clan Company maintains certain traits and characteristics unique to itself and its ancestors, though this is true of some more than others. The Clan Companies generally act as completely separate entities in their own right, and it is not unknown for minor skirmishes to break out between Clan Companies in certain circumstances. This is encouraged, so as to keep the Space Marines strong and vigilant in accord with the original beliefs of Ferrus Manus. Each Clan Company has its own hierarchy, and is responsible for the recruitment of new Space Marines in order to keep the Clan's numbers at the required level. These new recruits are taken from the mortal clans of various feral and death worlds that the Iron Gorgons Chapter fleet frequents, and who embrace their new Clan Company and the Chapter as a whole. The Clan Companies are nomadic, much like the clans they are recruited from. They travel the galaxy, following their continuing crusade against weakness and corruption. Unlike in standard Chapters, the squads which make up each Clan Company are referred to as claves. Additionally, officers of the Iron Gorgons who hold the rank of Captain are generally referred to as 'Iron Captains'. Known Clan Companies Ten Clan Companies are known to comprise the present-day Iron Gorgons Chapter, two of which are confirmed to date back to the time of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. Each of these Clan Companies maintains the name of an Iron Gorgons Chapter Clan that dates back to the time of their Chapter's inception. Some of these clans no longer exist in the modern 41st Millennium, either dying out through attrition or being lost while on campaign or traveling within the Immaterium. The surviving members are then absorbed by the remaining Clans, until such time, when a new Clan can be raised. The known clans include: *'Clan Voraag' - Clan Voraag was a Clan Company of the ancient Iron Hands Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. Many managed to survive the horrific events of the Drop Site Massacre and eventually became the core group of founding Astartes that made up the initial intake of battle-brothers during the Iron Gorgon's inception in the early 32nd Millennium. Since that time, they have continued to serve as the Chapter's elite warriors who tolerate no weakness within their ranks. Significant cybernetic augmentation is quite common in this clan. Clan Voraag prefers to keep themselves apart from the other Clan Companies when not called to war. The Voraag Clan's symbol is a cog within a cog, a clawed talon of a raptor sitting rampant at its center, symbolising the Clan's ferocity and vigilance. *'Clan Mogh' - Clan Mogh is the most venerable Clan Company within the Iron Gorgons Chapter, able trace their lineage to the ancient X Legion and the Unification Wars of Terra. They also valiantly served throughout the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. Notorious even on Medusa for their ruthlessness, they were noted for their single-minded elimination of their targets and stubborn determination in the face of overwhelming odds. Clan Mogh's symbol is a lightning icon, a bygone symbol that represents the Wars for Unification. Behind it, a pair of crossed chains in the form of a Roman numeral 'X', reminiscent of the Iron Hands ancient moniker, the 'Iron Tenth'. It also serves as a symbol of the chains that Ferrus Manus first bound around the fiery hearts of the Iron Hands, and that it serves as a reminder to all that true strength lies in restraint. *'Clan Neimos' - Clan Neimos is a Clan Company of the Iron Gorgons who have strong ties with the Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They are renowned for only communicating in battle through the utilisation of noospheric technology which allows them to view information in its purest form. This Clan's symbol is a stylised Cog Mechanicum, the sacred symbol utilised by the Adeptus Mechanicus. *'Clain Aidos' - Clan Aidos is notable for their stoicism and resoluteness in the face of the harshest of odds. Throughout their millennia of existence, this clan has nearly been wiped from existence, but have always managed to rise once again, stronger than tempered steel, ready to march boldly forwards into the jaws of the enemy. The Clan's symbol is a stylised cog centered within a larger cog. *'Clan Malus' - Clan Malus is a Clan Company of the Iron Gorgons who are notable for their ferocity in battle. They possess a long and notable battle record. This Clan's symbol is a monstrous drake centered within a cog icon. *'Clan Rautha' - Clan Rautha is a Clan Company of the Iron Gorgons who are notable for their logic and astute attention to even the most minute of details. Their battle-plate, weapons and vehicles are meticulously maintained and battle-ready at all times. Their Clan symbol is three cogs turning in perfect synchronisation, centered within a larger cog. *'Clan Harkaanan' - Clan Harkaanan is a Clan Company of the Iron Gorgons who are notable for being utterly intolerant of physical or mental weaknesses in others and least of all in themselves. This obsession manifests most notably in a distinct preference for high levels of cybernetic replacement among their Battle-Brothers. They are also notable for having the highest level of casualties amongst their Scout Marines, due to their brutal training regimen and intolerance of weakness in any form. When working alongside other Imperial forces it has been noted that the Astartes of Clan Harkaanan possess a frigid manner and speak in seemingly emotionless responses. The clan's symbol is a stylised tech-glyph binaric symbol of unknown meaning, centered within a cog icon. *'Clan Gath' - Clan Gath is a Clan Company of the Iron Gorgons who act as the Chapter's main Assault Company. They are notable for possessing a hatred of the Emperor's foes that burns far hotter than any forge furnace, and are often confrontational and quick to anger. Nevertheless, they are consummate close-combatants who display an even keener urge to prosecute their foes than any Clan Company within the Chapter. Clan Gath's symbol is a crossed blade and lightning bolt, symbolising their mastery of the lightning strike as well as their propensity for close-combat. *'Clan Morguul' - Clan Morguul is a Clan Company of the Iron Gorgons who act as the Chapter's main Devastator Company. They are a dour and taciturn bunch, who are equipped with, and are experts in, the use of heavy weapons. They are also well-versed in the use and application of other, more questionable weapons, such as chemical and radiation-based weapons, bio-alchemical munitions and phosphex weapons. They maintain the Chapter's ancient relic weapons of mass destruction, and have no compunction in their use against any foe that threatens humanity. Clan Morguul's symbol is stylised sunburst centered within a cog icon. *'Clan Sevros' - Clan Sevros is a Clan Company of the Iron Gorgons which serves as the Chapter's main Scout Company. The clan's symbol is a stylised tech-glyph binaric symbol of unknown meaning, centered within a cog icon. Order of Battle The following is the disposition of the Iron Gorgons Chapter organisation as it stands in 999.M41: Headquarters Clan Companies Deathwatch Service Chapter Combat Doctrine Like their forebears among the Iron Hands, the Iron Gorgons have a particular hatred for weakness in any form. This has had a marked effect on their combat doctrine. Like their former Iron Hands brethren, this hatred is extended to the physical body, seeing weakness even in themselves despite their obviously superior, augmented superhuman physiques. It is not unknown for an Astartes of this Chapter to further enhance himself through biomechanical and cybernetic means, including the replacement of otherwise healthy limbs and organic bodyparts with bionics. The Iron Gorgons are ferocious in battle, always advancing forwards in a relentless, automaton-like manner no matter how desperate the odds, throwing themselves violently at the enemy as they are overcome by a bitter, righteous anger at those who would defy the will of the Emperor and the Omnissiah. Notable Iron Gorgons *'Iron-Master Vigo Acidinus' - The Iron-Lord and Clan founder of Clan Voraag, Vigo Acidinus was Terran-born - hailing from Old Albia - which was renowned for its brutality and warlike culture. They provided a substantial number of potential recruits for the Xth Legion, in which Vigo was a part of the first intake. He would go on to fight in some of the Xth Legion's earliest engagements, including the re-conquest of the Sol System. Surviving the Legion's most brutal engagements, he quickly rose to the position of field command by the time the Xth Legion was reunited with their newly discovered Primarch upon the world of Medusa. Acidinus had already developed a reputation both as a consummate weaponsmith and a brutal and vicious warrior, ever-hungry for the thrill of battle. He and his warriors of Clan Voraag garnered a brutal and bloody reputation, even amongst a Legion known for its fearsome and pitiless warriors. The fearsome Iron-Lord would go on to serve throughout many notable campaigns of the Great Crusade, and would survive the calamitous events of the opening days of the Horus Heresy and the shattering of the Iron Hands Legion at Isstvan V. After the conclusion of the Horus Heresy, Iron-Lord Acidinus led Clan Voraag on a bitter and bloody-handed campaign of vengeance against the Traitor Legions, as well as those worlds who had colluded with the Warmaster, leaving a trail of carnage in their wake. At the beginning of the 32nd Millennium, when the High Lords of Terra called for a new Founding of Space Marines Chapters, Iron-Lord Acidinus was granted the 'honour' of becoming Chapter Master of one of the Iron Hands' newly formed Successor Chapters by the Iron Hands ruling body, known as the Iron Council. Taking the title of 'Iron-Master', Acidinus named his newly created Chapter the Iron Gorgons, in honour of their lost Primarch, and went on to forge a brutal and unforgiving reputation for his Chapter in the annals of Imperial history. *'Iron-Master Einion Hephaistos' - Einion Hephaistos serves as the current Iron-Master of the Iron Gorgons Chapter. Chapter Fleet *''Hammer of Medusa'' (Infernus-class Battleship) - The Hammer of Medusa is a recently forged vessel based upon the ancient Great Crusade-era capital ship design, one of many such classes of warship, recently commissioned for construction by the newly returned Primarch Roboute Guilliman to take part of the Indomitus Crusade. This mighty ship is a monstrous vessel and powerful weapon of terrible destructive presence, easily outclassing many warships utilised by the modern-era Imperial Navy. This massive vessel is covered with weapons towers, crenellations and Macrocannon-studded flanks, the arching crest of its bridge block and, most fearsome of all, the vast, spinal-mounted exo-laser battery that runs down its length. The Infernus-class Battleship had been out of commission since the days following the destructive conflict of the Horus Heresy, one of a number of vessels deemed too powerful to be left in the hands of any single commander after the betrayals committed during the Age of Darkness. But the fall of Cadia and the formation of the Great Rift, never has there been such a need for such a mighty vessel, to take the fight to the myriad of foes that assail the Imperium of Man from all corners of the galaxy. Granted to the Iron Gorgons to carry out their wrath against the Forces of Chaos, the Hammer of Medusa was a profound gift the Chapter graciously accepted from the Lord Commander of the Imperium. Serving as the newly commissioned flagship of their substantial warfleet, the Iron Gorgons eagerly take the fight to the enemy, bringing their unfettered wrath down upon the daemonic, heretic, apostate and the xenos. *''Iron Wrath'' (Warspite-class Battle-Barge) - The former flagship of the Iron Gorgons, this ancient vessel was built during the bygone era of the Terran Wars of Unification and took part in many notable actions during both the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. This indomitable vessel has honourably served the Iron Gorgons since their inception, and has earned an enviable record nearly unsurpassed by most vessels that serve within the Imperial military forces. This mighty ship often formed the Chapter's line of battle during fleet engagements, possessing formidable armaments capable of smashing continents from orbit and able to control entire star systems by force of arms. This vessel can hold tens of thousands of crew, auxiliaries and hundreds of war machines as well as swarms of smaller attack craft. Though it no longer serves as the Chapter's main flagship, it is still treated with much respect and admiration by the Iron Gorgons, and as such, has an honoured position within the Chapter's mighty warfleet, serving as the command vessel of Clan Voraag, the Chapter elite 1st Clan Company. *''Gorgonesque'' (Battle Barge) - This is the second vessel to bear this name, as the original served in the ancient Iron Hands Legion's warfleet, serving as part of the second line of attack during the campaign on Isstvan V. When the Traitors revealed their true intentions, the Gorgonesque fought back against their traitorous former allies. Despite their valiant efforts, eventually this mighty vessel succumbed to a brutal barrage by the Traitor's guns and was eventually destroyed. Upon their inception, the Iron Gorgons were granted several newly forged vessels, and in honour of the heroic deeds of the original Gorgonesque, the Iron Gorgons proudly named one of their newly received Battle Barges after this ship of legend. This vessel has continued to proudly carry on the legacy of their predecessor for over ten millennia. *''Armourum Ferrum'' (Battle Barge) *''Heart of Medusa'' (Battle Barge) *''Ironside'' (Battle Barge) *''Mortis Metallus'' (Inflexible-class Grand Cruiser) *''Triton'' (Avenger-class Grand Cruiser) *''Hammer of Ogun'' (Dagon-class Grand Cruiser) *''Gorgon's Glory'' (Odysseus-class Galleass of War) *''Gloriam Ferrum'' (Armiger-class Lance Cruiser) *''Fury of Asirnoth'' ( ) *''Gorgon's Oath'' ( ) *''Heart of Iron'' ( ) *''Ironclad'' ( ) *''Meduson's Wrath'' ( ) *''Oath of Iron'' ( ) *''Omnissiah's Wrath'' ( ) *''Soul of Iron'' ( ) *''Strength of Iron'' ( ) *'' *'' *''' Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours When the Iron Gorgons primarily wear dark gunmetal gray coloured power armour, with the exception of the insets of their shoulder pauldrons, which are black in colour. The Chapter iconography is proudly displayed on their left pauldron, while each individual Clan Company icon is displayed on the right shoulder pauldron, but sometimes is also displayed on one of their greaves. A white coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Assault, Devastator and Veteran), centered within a small cog symbols, is indicated on the chest guard or worn on one of their greaves, which indicates an individual battle-brother's combat role. A white colored lozenge (diamond symbol) on the left poleyn (knee guard), with a black coloured Gothic numeral stenciled upon it, indicates squad number. Red binaric language engraved upon various parts of a battle-brother's power armour is believed to be a visual representation of Lingua-technis, the holy language of the Omnissiah. Imperial scholars also believed this cryptic language referred to the mysterious inner orders of the Chapters, and is also an indication of veteran status. Chapter Badge The Iron Gorgons' Chapter badge is a white coloured, stylised symbol of the creature of ancient Grecian myth, known as a Gorgon - a horrifying creature whose hair was made of living, venomous snakes, as well as possessing a horrifying visage that turned those who beheld it, into stone. This symbol is centered with a large white cog. The name of this creature - Medusa - refers to both the name of their progenitor's home world as well as the nickname of their gene-sire. Chapter Relics Allies Ironclad Brotherhood Since early M32, the collective known as the Ironclad Brotherhood has remained an inviolable and resolute in their eternal quest to wage an eternal war against the Traitor Legions and those who would make truck with the Ruinous Powers. But in M34, this brotherhood was shattered when the Iron Invictors let their obsessions with certain forbidden mysteries and nightmare sciences saw them excommunicated and declared as Traitors to the Imperium. Since that time, the three remaining Chapters - the Iron Gorgons, alongside the Templars of Iron and the Sanctors of Manus, have continued to fight in common cause or come to one another's aid during times of crisis, achieving great victories in the name of the Emperor and their gene-sire, Ferrus Manus. Yet their secondary goal continues to remain elusive, as the Brotherhood continue to seek out their erstwhile former brethren, now known as the notorious Chaos Warband - the Brethren of Hel - to finally eradicate this stain upon their brotherhood's honour once and for all. Sons of Iron The Iron Gorgons are not easily impressed with feats of battle prowess or the tally of victories one has acquired, for service to the Emperor is its own reward. What matters most, is that one displays great hatred towards weakness of any kind, with a particular disgust of mental weakness. These traits, the Sons of Iron displays in abundance. Though a young Chapter by the standards of the triumvirate Chapters that make up the Ironclad Brotherhood, they have nevertheless continued to proudly carry on the traditions of their genetic forebears. Like their elder brethren, the Sons of Iron loathe heretics and traitors, and go to great lengths to mercilessly eradicate their foul presence from the galaxy wherever they encounter them. Like their elder brethren, this Chapter also displays the propensity for replacing the organic with bionic components, which they believe helps expunges the weakness of the flesh. This is in keeping with core beliefs of most Chapters who hail from the lineage of Ferrus Manus. Although there is no official records of any of the Chapters of the Ironclad Brotherhood having operated alongside the Sons of Iron, mainly due to their crusading nature as they often operate on the fringes of Imperial space, the young Chapter has compensated for their lack of helping their elder brethren directly. They have opened, at all times, secret and well-protected communications, warning the Ironclad Brotherhood of any sightings from the hated Chaos Warband, known as the Brethren of Hel, that they may discover, either during the Chapter's missions or when a Battle-Brother undergoes his Vigil. Even if the beliefs of their home world of Suami sometimes clashes with the core beliefs of the Ironclad Brotherhood, the young Chapter truly wishes to supplement as best it can the strength of these ancient Chapters. Warmachines The Warmachines are a similarly bellicose Chapter that hails from the formidable fortress world of Volgenstraad. Their sheer tenacity and resolute stubborness in the face of overwhelming odds are traits that are greatly admired by the Iron Gorgons. Specialising in siege warfare and heavy artillery strikes, the cold brutality of the Warmachines has been relied upon by the Iron Gorgons on a half dozen occasions down the millennia. As this Chapter is ever-ready for war, the Iron Gorgons know that they can rely upon the Warmachines to help crack the defences of the most stubborn of foes, pounding them with an unrelenting barrage of heavy ordnance and overwhelming firepower until nothing remains but crumbled stone and shattered steel. Enemies Brethren of Hel The Brethren of Hel are a notorious Renegade Space Marine Chapter that is known for raiding multiple Imperial systems near the hellish Warp rift known as the Eye of Terror. Formerly known as the Iron Invictors this Chapter, along with the Iron Gorgons, Sanctors of Manus and the Templars of Iron, formerly made up a quadrumvirate of 2nd Founding Iron Hands Successors, collectively known as the ''Frateris Firmitatis ("Ironclad Brotherhood"). This Chapter was once counted amongst the most stalwart defenders of mankind. But like their Progenitors, the Invictors were obsessed with strength and the elimination of physical and mental weakness, which is subject to decay and temptation, and believed to have been a contributing factor to the failure of the Loyalist Legions during the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V. This led the Iron Hands to revere the machine and distrust the failings inherent in flesh. But the Iron Invictors' obsession with certain forbidden mysteries and nightmare sciences of the Dark Age of Technology eventually saw them being declared Excommunicate Traitoris, and cast out of the Imperium. For millennia, the fleet-bound Brethren of Hel periodically raids Forge Worlds and far-flung Adeptus Mechanicus outposts near the Eye of Terror - obsessed with obtaining rare standard template constructs and the secrets of archaeo-technology forbidden by Imperial dictates and the edicts of the Martian Priesthood. They are relentlessly pursued by their erstwhile brethren, who will stop at nothing to eradicate this Renegade Chapter of hereteks. Notable Quotes By the Iron Gorgons Feel free to add your own About the Iron Gorgons Feel free to add your own Gallery Iron Gorgons_Iron Captain.png|Mortikah Abelardus, Iron Captain of Clan Mogh (2nd Clan Company). Note: Binaric language engraved upon the right vambrace and left greave. Rank designation engraved upon helmet. Personal heraldy displayed on right polyn (knee guard). Iron Gorgons_Terminator.png|An Iron Gorgons Veteran Marine of the Order Triarii, Clan Voraag (1st Clan Company) 1st Clave (Squad), wearing Tartaros Pattern Terminator Armour. Note: Etched tech-glyph binaric markings on gauntlet, greave and groin guard. Iron Gorgons_Gorgon Termi 2.png|An Iron Gorgons Sternguard Veteran Sergeant of the Order Triarii, Clan Voraag (1st Clan Company) 3rd Clave (Squad), wearing ancient and rare Gorgon-pattern Terminator Armour. Iron Gorgons_Mk IV 2.png|A Veteran Assault Sergeant of Clan Gath (8th Clan Company), 2nd Clave (Squad). Note: Stripe on helmet denotes rank. Iron Gorgons_Devastator Marine.png|A Devastator Marine of Clan Morguul (9th Clan Company), 8th Clave (Squad) Iron Gorgons_Scout.png|An Iron Gorgons Scout Marine of Clan Sevros (10th Clan Company) Category:Fleet-Based Chapters Category:Imperium Category:Iron Hands Successors Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:2nd Founding